A section of the busy A2 will close for three days as work continues to complete a new Fastrack bus service.

It comes as new drone photos show the progress being made on the ambitious all-electric rapid service set for Dover.

Construction of the bridge at Whitfield, which will be for pedestrians, bicycles and buses only, continues to take shape, as part of the £34 million project.

The flyover, next to the Tesco car park, crosses the A2 and is between the Whitfield Roundabout and the A256 turn-off. The top of the bridge is to be placed from July 14 with a section of the A2 closed for three days.

New aerial snaps taken by KentOnline show the unfinished bridge and its huge construction site.

When complete, it will serve the new Dover Fastrack electric bus service, which is being heralded as the county’s first zero-emission bus route.

There will also be a new link road from the B&Q roundabout in Whitfield to Dover Road at Guston. Again the junction with Dover Road will be for buses, bicycles and pedestrians only.

Here is everything you need to know about the bus service, including the route and who is stumping up the cash...

What exactly is Dover Fastrack?

Fastrack is a rapid electric bus route that directly connects Dover Priory Station with Whitfield, which is fast-growing with homes and businesses. The route is estimated to take up to 25 minutes one way, and up to 50 minutes on a round trip.

When will the first passengers board the buses?

That is still to be announced although construction of the route is expected to finish this autumn, having started in February 2022.

How frequent will the service be?

This is not yet known, but the frequency will increase in line with the growth of Whitfield.

When will the A2 have to close for the bridge building, and which part will close?

The road will close between the Whitfield Roundabout and the A256 interchange from 9am on Friday, July 14, to 5am on Monday, July 17.

During the 60-hour operation, five 30m steel beams weighing 14.5 tonnes each will be lifted into position from the A2 by a 150-tonne crane.

There will be a signed diversion via the White Cliffs Business Park (Honeywood Road and Honeywood Parkway) during the works to install the bridge. Where possible, traffic heading to or from the Port of Dover is recommended to use the A20/M20.

What is the route?

Starting at Dover Priory Station, the buses will visit A256 York Street, A20 Townwall Street, A256 Woolcomber Street, A258 Castle Hill Road, Dover Road, Farmstead Way, Honeywood Parkway, Red Kite Road, Richmond Way, Archers Court Road, Cranleigh Drive, Francombe Way, Downside Road, Cranleigh Drive (again), Alison Crescent, Mayfield Road and Sandwich Road.

The return leg will encompass Archers Court Road, Richmond Way, Red Kite Road, Honeywood Parkway, Farmstead Way, Dover Road, A258 Castle Hill Road, Castle Street, King Street, Queen Street, A256 York Street, Folkestone Road, and then Dover Priory Station.

Will the service help tackle climate change?

Dover Fastrack will become the county’s first zero-emission bus service. It has been designed as a credible alternative to the car as the route takes passengers straight to Dover Priory Station where they can take the HS1 fast train to Folkestone, Ashford and London.

Apart from the environment, are there other reasons for Fastrack to be brought in?

The service is supporting the development of new housing at Whitfield, with up to 6,350 homes created by 2040, as part of the Whitfield Urban Expansion project.

It is also needed for a commercial development on the White Cliffs Business Park in Whitfield and more homes at the former Connaught Barracks site near Burgoyne Heights.

The former Officers’ Mess site at Connaught Barracks, at Dover Road, Guston is having 60 homes built there and the new bus will be needed for there too.

Is this the first-ever Fastrack service in Kent?

No, it's the second. The first, with the Kent Thameside buses in Dartford and Gravesham, began in March 2006 – although this service is not all-electric.

Who is running the project?

Fastrack’s project managers are Kent County Council’s highways department and the main contractors are Colas UK Projects Ltd.

Who is paying for it?

Out of the exact £33.82 million needed, a total £22.9m funding is coming from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund connected to the Whitfield Urban Expansion.

The Department for Transport is providing £9.5m and the remaining £1.42 million from Dover District Council.

This represents the biggest investment in public transport in Dover for many years.